Game



May 9, 1939. J. T. BULLEN ET AL 2,157,589

` GAME Filed May 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l a o: Maj

J. T. BULLEN ET AL `2,157,589

May 9, 1939.

GAME

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 15. 1937 Patented May 9, 1939 PATENT OFFICE GAME Jacob T. Bullen and Margaret Bullen, 'Shreveport,

La.; assignors to the said Margaret Bullen Application May 15,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to games, an object being to provide a game board made up of a lower or body portion of a material portions of which can be freely penetrated by 'a needle or the like while other portions cannot be penetrated, this lower portion being covered by a replaceable sheet on which is displayed the suitably marked playing surface.

The game is designed primarily to simulate the development of oil fields although it is to be understood that it can also be used in playing games patterned after the development of mineral resources, etc.

With the foregoing 'and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention 'consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying ldra'wings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the game board on which certain markings have been placed by the players.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure l, two of the penetrating devices being shown assembled therewith.

Figure 3 is' a plan view of the game board with the playing sheet removed and ia portion of the protective covering broken away.

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the game board and some of the markings thereon.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference designates a game board which can be circular or of any other desired shape and which is formed of a material which can be penetrated readily by a pointed instrument 'such as a needle, an awl or the like. For this purpose .beaverboard or other wall board or cardboard of suitable thickness and capable of being freely penetrated can be used.

Suitably located in the top surface of the game board I are recesses 2 of any desired shapes and sizes in which are snugly seated metal plates or 50 pieces of other material which can not be penetrated by the pointed implements used in playing the game. These constitute the baffle portions of the game board and have been indicated at 3. They can be held in place by means of an -55 adhesive or otherwise.

1937, Serial No. 142,903

It is preferred to provide the game board with a protective covering 4 of oilcloth or other durable material which is adjoined to the game board by means of an adhesive. In practice this protective layer is preferably spaced from the marf gin of vthe board so as to leave an uncovered border 5' of any desired width.

As the bafile members 3 are flush with the board I, it will be obvious that when the protective sheet 4 is positioned on the board, it is impos-- lp sible to determine definitely the location of the ba'flle portions.

There is used in connection With this game board a game sheet 5 shaped to completely cover the game board and provided with a margin 6('15 of any desired width. This game sheet is adapted to be fastened to the game board by means of thumb tacks or the like pressed through the marginal portion into the marginal portion of the game board. These attaching means haveszo been indicated at 'I and are readily removable when it is desired to substitute a new game sheet for the one previously employed.

The area of the game sheet surrounded by the border 6 can be divided in any manner, as byfi means of crossed lines 8 printed thereon, into small areas which can represent "leases" 9. Portions of this area can also be marked to indicate certain towns or cities, as shown at Ill while one or more other portions can be marked to; indicate certain natural formations, such as rivers, lakes, etc. One of these has been indicated at ll.

In practice it is preferred to provide a number` of game sheets which can be arranged in theEV form of a pad and attaching a sheet to the game board at the beginning of each game to be played. In addition to the game sheet, it is necessary to use one or more implements for perforating the game sheets. These can be in the form of needles, awls or the like two of which have been indicated at |2 in Figui'e 2. It is also essential that the players be provided with colored pencils, each player having a pencil of a different colored lead. Another requisite is the use of imitation' money which can be supplied in any quantity and denominations desired.

Any desired number of persons may play the game. A game sheet is placed on the game board and attached thereto. Each player is provided with a pencil of a distinctive color and is' also provided with a suitable amount of money, the rema'i'nder of the money being kept in the ubank". Each player thereaft'er throws two dice and the y5'5 one throwing the highest total of the two dice is the one to start the actual play of the game.

To start the play the two dice are thrown and the total number thrown represents the number of **leases that the player may buy. All "leases" or squares more than three squares from an oil Well are known as Uwildcat leases. Since no fields have been discovered at the start of the game the leases Will be wildcat leases which will cost 1,000 play dollars to buy. If the dice thrown show a five and a four, or a total of nine, for instance, the player then may purchase nine leases or squares and these may be chosen at will, either in a block of squares, or scattered over the board. To show ownership each lease or square so purchased is marked with that playeris color` with a cross from corner to corner or each individual square, as shown at A in Figures l and 4, and these squares or leases belong to that player during the entire game, unless the player desires to sell them to some other player for any price agreed upon. These leases may not be prospected by other players. At any time, when a player has his turn, he may drill one well. This is done before the dice are thrown and the player so signifies by paying the bank the sum of 10,000 play dollars, which represents the cost of drilling each well. To "drill the well the player takes a needle and holding it vertically in the hand, pushes it into the board at the center of the square or lease on which he desired to locate the well. In the case of leases of unknown value this square would preferably be in the center of a block or group of his leases or squares. If the needle penetrates the board easily Without striking a baflle 3, the well is "dry and a failure, and a small circle B of the playerls color is placed in the square With suitable marking to show the well a failure, preferably with four small lines drawn outward from lthe edge of the circle, as shown at C. If the needle does not penetrate the board, but strlkes the surface of one of the baffles, the well is an oil well, and the first of such Wells discovers an oil field. Such a well is signified by a solid circle, as shown at D. The dice are then thrown by the player and he may purchase leases around this oil Well if he desires to increase the number of leases that may have a possibility of being Within the limits of the field, or over a bafile 3. However, leases within a radius of three squares in any direction from an oil Well cost 5,000 dollars each instead of 1,000 dollars. He may purchase part of his number of leases in the vicinity of a field and part in Wildcat leases if desired, the wildcat leases being further than three squares from an oil well and always costing 1,000 dollars.

The next player then has his turn and may use all or part of his throw of the dice to purchase leases around the oil well of the other player, at the cost of 5,000 dollars if within three squares of an oil well, or may purchase Wildcat leases.

At no time may a player assemble a solid block 01' more than nine squares or leases without having drilled a Well on that block. I-Ie may assemble various blocks of nine or less leases, but need not drill a Well until or if desired, but may not purchase adjacent leases until a well has been drilled. This gives the other players an opportunity to purchase leases in or around each new field as it is discovered as well as during development of the field. The position or direction in which the bafile lies and its size is not known until the field has been practically fully developed and the limit of oil Wells shown by dry holes or failures about the field. But the player' discovering an oil field has the possibility of many oil Wells providing his discovery Well Was placed properly with respect to his block of leases and providing the main part of his block falls on the field or bafile 3.

One Well may be drilled at a turn by each player at his proper turn until the first oil field has been discovered by the drilling of an oil well. After that the following players may each drill two Wells at a time if desired, each at his proper turn, until after the second field has been discovered. After the discovery of the second field three Wells may be drilled at a time, the cost being 10,000 dollars per well as previously stated, until the end of the game.

Wells drilled in "Water, such as lakes or rivers li, would cost 15,000 dollars each.

At any time the total of seven or eleven are thrown on the dice by any player, each player receives from the bank 5,000 dollars for each oil well (not dry hole) that he may own, regardless to who throws the dice at the time the number is thrown. This is done until the end of the game and represents "royalties or profits from the oil Wells. Thus early completion of as many oil Wells as possible is important to each player. At the end of the game each player receives a papei` credit of 20,000 dollars per Well for each oil Well that he owns, th'us giving a player whose luck improves late in the game a chance at Winning, as he will have fallen behind in receiving royalty but may still own the greatest number of Wells due to late development of fields.

Cities or l''towns Ill add interest to the play.

Oil fields chancing to be located near one of these can be known during the play by suitable names such as the Rodessa field or the Monroe field. Also a small lake or river surface when added, causes wells that are drilled in such natural handicaps to cost more money.

The end of the game is When each player in his turn is satisfied that he can drill no more oil wells on any of his leases after all of the fields have been discovered. He does not have to drill Wells during the latey stages of the game if his remaining leases appear to him to be outside of the limits of the fields, but he may throw the dice at his turn in the hope of throwing a seven or eleven and may purchase leases with all or part of his throw if he sees the opportunity of further oil wells around a field.

As before stated, it is not intended to restrict this game to the playing of a game based upon the development of oil fields but obviously it can be modified Within the scope of the present invention to adapt it for playing games based upon development of other natural resources.

What is claimed is:

i. A game board including a top area which consists of a material easy to penetrate with a pointed implement and a material which cannot be penetrated by said implement, and a sheet of material covering said top area and resting thereon, said sheet of material concealing the locations of the penetrable material thereunder and being easily penetrated by said implement, there being a geographical area displayed on said Sheet.

2. A game board having areas on one surface thereof one of which can be penetrated readily by a polnted implement While another one of said areas cannot be penetrated thereby, a covering material secured to the board and concealing the locations of said areas, and a removable game Sheet divided into Spaces and mounted on the covering material, both the covering material and the game Sheet being easily penetrated by the implement.

3. A game board having Aa fiat Surface a portion of which iS readily penetrableI by a pointed implement While another portion thereof cannot be penetrated thereby, a cover Sheet on the board for concealing the locations of Said portions, and a game Sheet removably mounted on the cover Sheet and divided into Spaces differing in Shape and location from the readily penetrable portion of the game board each adapted to receive a penetrating implement,,both the cover Sheet and the game Sheet being of a material eaSily penetrated by Said implement.

4. A game including a board havingr a plurality of receSSeS in one Surface, bafiles fitted Snugly Within the recesses and fiuSh with Said Surface of the board, Said board and baifles providing Surfaces one of which can be penetrated readily by a pointed implement while the other cannot be So penetrated, and a game Sheet detachably mounted on Said Surface of the board for perforation by the penetrating implement, said Sheet concealing the locations of the bafiles.

5. A game including a board having a plurality of recesSeS in one surface thereof, portionS fitted snugly in Said receSSeS and lying flush with the Surface of the board, Said portions and board providing Surfaces one of which can be penetrated readily by a pointed implement While the other cannot be So penetrated, and means for concealing the location of Said Surfaces, Said means including a game Sheet mounted on the Surface and divided into Spaces to be Selected by the players for insertion of the pointed implement, said spaces differing in Shape and location from the concealed penetrable Surfaces.

6. A game including a board having a receSS in one Surface, an element Seated in Said recesS and fiush with the Surface of the board, said element and board providing Surfaces one of which can be penetrated readily by a pointed implement while the other cannot be. So penetrated, a covering material attached to the board and resting on and concealing the locations of said surfaces, and a playing Sheet removably mounted on the covering material and divided into Spaces for Selection by the players and insertion of the pointed implement, Said covering material and playing Sheet being readily penetrable by Said implement and Said playing Sheet being divided into Spaces differing in Shape and location from the penetrable Surfaces concealed thereunder.

'7. A game including a board having a recess in one Surface, an element Seated in Said recess and flush with the Surface of the board, Said element and board providing Surfaces one of which can be penetrated readily by a pointed implement while the other cannot be So penetrated, a covering material attached to the board and reSting on and concealing the location of Said Surfaces, and a playing Sheet removably mounted on the covering material, Said playing Sheet being divided into Separate Spaces for Selection by the players for penetration by theiimplement, there being additional means indicated on the game Sheet for denoting physical handicaps and advantages, both the covering material and the playing Sheet being easily penetrated by Said implement, Said game Sheet being divided into Spaces diifering in Shape and location from the penetrable Surfaces concealed thereunder.

JACOB T. BLLEN. MARGARET BUILEN. 

